Page 29 of Wild Card
“I know what I’m doing, Ash. You don’t have to understand, and you don’t have to like?—”
“Do you love him?” he talks over me.
“I…I.”
“C’mon, it’s not a hard question. You're gonna marry this guy.” He reaches out and takes my hand, holding it up between us to remind me that Brett’s ring is back on my finger.
“How I feel about Brett doesn’t matter.” I shake my head.
“It matters to me,” he admits, standing up and kicking the chair out the way.
There’s a heat coming from him that matches my own; a tension between us that pulls like a magnet, and I feel powerless to fight against it.
“What are you doing in here, Ruby?” he asks, his raspy voice telling me that he knows exactly what I’m here for, and when he lifts my head with the crook of his finger and forces me to look at him, I see that he wants it too. “What did you come to me for?” His sudden soft tone speaks straight to my pussy and makes it flutter.
“I…I…It was a stupid idea.” I go to turn away, but he grabs my arm and holds me firm.
“If ya don’t ask, ya don’t get,” he whispers, creeping his fingers up my arm to my shoulder, then settling them around my neck. I close my eyes and inhale, wondering why having himtouch me this way doesn’t seem scary. Strangely, I’ve never felt safer.
“You want me to kiss ya again?” he asks, with his lips lingering dangerously close to mine. So close, I can almost taste them.
I nod my head because I’m weak, and clearly, I’m developing a habit of chasing trouble.
“You want me to touch you?” he asks, sliding his palm down my body so it rests between my tits.
I nod again, keeping my eyes shut tight and enjoying how it feels to have his hands back on me.
“Where? Where do you want me to touch you, pretty girl?’ I open my eyes and see him staring into mine, like he’s trying to read the thoughts in my head.
“Here?” His finger lower down my stomach, circling my belly button. “Here?” They skim along the waistline of my PJ shorts, and all I can do is nod back at him like I’m locked in some kind of trance.
“You belong to someone else, Ruby; you'reuntouchable.” He whispers the last word against my lips, and when he goes to back away, this time it’smewho grabs hold ofhim.
“No.” I hold him firm, so firm that my knuckles turn white and I feel myself shake. “Not tonight. Tonight I wanna be yours,” I confess, feeling my cheeks burn and stomach knot.
“Just for tonight?” he checks, toying with me as he keeps his forehead tight to mine and lifts his free hand up to slide into my hair.
“And what makes you think I’d let you go when tonight is over?” he questions, sliding his nose up my cheek like he’s taking in my scent.
“Because you have to,” I answer the only way I can.
“I never do what I’m supposed to do. I break rules and people hate me for it.” He presses a kiss just beneath my ear, and Iswear it causes a flood in my panties. “Go back to your room, Ruby. Before you end up hating me, too.” His low husky voice holds so much restraint, and the something desperate that's inside me forces the words that come next to blurt out.
“I’m a virgin.” It seems those words shock him as much as I shock myself for admitting them.
“A what now?” He squints like he’s confused.
‘I’m a virgin,” I repeat, only this time much quieter.
“How? How the fuck are you a virgin?” He scrubs his hand over his mouth and looks as if he doesn’t believe me.
“Because I ain’t like the girls you're used to. I don’t drop my panties for any guy I meet. I believe that sex is a special, intimate thing tha?—”
“Okay, okay. Save me the speech. I understand.” He holds up his hands between us.
“You do?” I have to admit to being a little taken aback. I didn’t expect a guy like him to understand.
“No.” He shakes his head, taking my hand and dragging me over to stand in front of the mirror. “Look atcha, you’re… You’re… You’re fuckin’ beautiful.” I see myself blush, and when I lower my head again, he reaches around me and raises it back up. “It should be illegal to look this good, even with a fat lip,” he sniggers, and when I go to turn around to slap him in the chest, he holds me firm and keeps me still.
